In Yangzhai, Yingchuan, in the meeting hall of the governor's office, the pottery merchant was talking with Kong Niao about Xu Jing.
"When it comes to sending someone to visit Yuan Shu, Xu Jing's identity is very suitable." Kong Niao praised with a smile, and his words were full of admiration: "After Yuan Gongli came from a famous family, he was the fourth generation and the third prince among the nobles.
His position is extremely respected! There are not many people who can catch his eye... My nephew, I have thought about your plan, and only Xu Jing can do it."
The pottery merchant nodded. Naturally, he didn't know as much as Kong Ni about famous people from aristocratic families.
The pottery merchant said curiously: "Yingchuan was once the ancient capital of the Xia Dynasty, which lasted for thousands of years, and is now the cultural center of the Han Dynasty with many private schools... It is not difficult to find some celebrities here who can be admired by Yuan Shu... But this strategy of mine must be
Only someone with the ability and moral integrity to detect and recruit talents can speak out before Yuan Shu can believe him! I wonder if Xu Jing is qualified in this regard?"
Kong Ni laughed loudly and looked at the pottery merchant with a proud look on his face, his expression was very twitchy.
"My dear nephew, you are young and ill-informed! Do you know what official position Xu Jing held in the past? He was a minister in the Shangshutai, responsible for promoting and demoting officials all over the world!"
The pottery merchant couldn't help but widen his eyes when he heard this: "So powerful?"
Kong Ni said proudly: "What's even more powerful!... Xun Shuang, Han Rong, Chen Ji and others were all recommended by Xu Jing to serve as ministers in the court! And his disciple Xu Shao and Xu Zijiang were all recommended by him!
He is famous for criticizing people all over the world. When it comes to people's evaluation and criticism, Xu Jing is a first-rate person no matter in the court or among the people. Don't look at Yuan Shu's greatness now. When he was in Luoyang, people like Xu Jing were not.
He can flatter anyone he wants."
Tao Shang now completely understood why Kong Nian admired Xu Jing so much. It turned out that his disciple turned out to be Xu Zijiang!
One of the two brothers is responsible for recommending officials at the Shangshutai, and the other is setting up the "Yuedan Review" in Runan County to evaluate the world's talents... Whether in government or in the opposition, the Xu family brothers have the best resources in personnel and public opinion! It can be said that...
"Black and white take it all," the pottery merchant said with emotion.
Kong Niao staggered and almost fell: "My good nephew, please don't talk nonsense! What does it mean to take both black and white... It's a description of a gangster!"
Obviously, Kong Ni was very dissatisfied with Tao Shang's attitude of disrespecting celebrities... If it weren't for the fact that he was now helping him deal with Sun Jian and Yuan Shu, Mr. Kong would have dealt with him with a slap in the face.
The potter did not notice Kong Ni's dissatisfied expression, but sighed: "In the court, he specializes in promoting and demoting officials. In the countryside, his disciple Xu Zijiang specializes in criticizing people in the world...
...So in today's world, who is a capable person and who is a waste, with just one word from him, it can basically be determined? Is that right?"
Kong Niao smiled slightly and said without comment, "Of course."
The potter shook his head, feeling helpless...it was so dark.
However, it would be most appropriate to let Xu Jing complete the tasks he assigned.
…
…
The conversation was divided into two parts. In the land of Luyang, Yuan Shu was chatting with Xu Jing enthusiastically at this moment. The enthusiasm was all on his face, without any cover up, and his words were full of intimacy.
It's no wonder that even though Yuan Shu always had a higher level of vision, he was still from the Han Dynasty in the final analysis.
Talent selection in the Han Dynasty was based on the inspection system. Local governors mainly conducted inspections within their jurisdiction, selected talents, and recommended them to superior officials, all the way up to the chancellery.
This layer-by-layer recommendation method allows local gentry or prestigious individuals with authority to speak and have great interpersonal resource capabilities!
The so-called "selection and selection", the words "select" and "ba" each have profound meanings. Selection is to select scholars who do not have official positions in the name of recommendation, and bao is to promote lower-level officials to high-ranking officials. Although the selection of talents also has election subjects
Examination, but those who are qualified to take the examination must have sufficient reputation and recommendation from superiors.
Over time, the gentry with higher status and voice gradually gained great power to elect people. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it was obvious that wealthy celebrities presided over village evaluations and controlled the election process behind closed doors.
The Yuan family is able to have disciples and former officials all over the world, and it is precisely because of its strong background of the Four Generations and Three Dukes that it recommends a large number of talents to the central government! As a result, more and more people are attracted to the Yuan family, and Yuan Shu is naturally the best aware of the benefits.
Xu Jing once occupied an important position in both official "selection" and private "selection"... It would be strange if Yuan Shu did not deliberately make friends with him.
At that time, Yuan Shu arranged a banquet and drank happily with Xu Jing. The two chatted from Luoyang to Runan, and from the promotion of the imperial court to the recommendation of the people.
……………………
"Mr. Xu!" When the wine was full, Yuan Shu put down the wine cup in his hand on the table and said excitedly: "Mr. Xu is a famous person in the world. His disciple Jiang Gong is also a master of evaluating talents. I heard that the brothers founded Yuedan alone.
Comment, he has a lot of appreciation for contemporary figures, poetry, calligraphy and paintings, and he is famous all over the world!"
Xu Jing smiled modestly and said, "Mr. Yuan is very complimentary."
Yuan Shu looked at Xu Jing as if he were looking at a piece of greedy fat, and his mouth was almost watering.
"Is this too much praise? Not only did Xu Gong have the ability to guide the trend of the nobles among the people, he was also ranked among the most respected ministers above the court! According to Yuan Shu's knowledge, among the princes who are currently attacking Dong Zhuo: Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, and Yanzhou
Liu Dai, the governor of Yuzhou, Kong You, the governor of Yuzhou, and Zhang Miao, the governor of Chenliu, were all promoted and appointed by Xu Gong to the court. What a prestige this is! Who dares not to obey!"
Yuan Shu's words are true. Among the princes who are now attacking Dong Zhuo, a large number of them were recommended by Xu Jing, including Kong Ni. This is also the reason why Xu Jing was in trouble in Luoyang some time ago and went to Kong Ni.
Xu Jing smiled bitterly when he heard this, and secretly thought that if he hadn't promoted these disasters and formed a coalition of eighteen princes, Dong Zhuo was so angry that he wanted to kill me. Why would I have to run from Luoyang to Yingchuan for refuge?
Yuan Shu didn't pay much attention to Xu Jing's regretful expression, and continued: "Yuan has admired Mr. Xu's name for a long time, and hates that he has no chance to do important things with him. What kind of people are Kong Niao? They are just rotten scholars! How can they be superior to Mr. Xu? If Yuan gets Mr. Xu to vote for him,
, I am willing to treat you as a teacher!"
With Yuan Shu currently holding the highest official position among the eighteen princes, he could be said to be a polite and virtuous corporal, and he was highly respected for being able to say these words to Xu Jing who was in trouble.
Xu Jing raised the wine cup and said with a smile: "I am so grateful that Mr. Yuan invites you so sincerely, and I can't say anything more. Unfortunately, my cousin Xu Tuan is now the Prime Minister of Chen State under the command of Kong Prefect, and they are planning to attack Dong. I can't bear to abandon him, I'm afraid."
It would be a disservice to Mr. Yuan’s good intentions.”
Yuan Shu didn't expect Xu Jing to reject him, so he felt unhappy and sighed: "What a pity, what a pity!"
Xu Jing glanced at Yuan Shu and said, "That's not entirely true. Although I am not under Yuan Gong's tent, being under Kong Prefect's tent is the same as being under Yuan Gong's tent."
Yuan Shu wondered: "What do you mean by this?"
Xu Jing cupped his hands and said, "You have forgotten, Mr. Yuan? I am here today as the envoy of the Governor Kong, specifically to make friends with Mr. Yuan. The Governor Kong admires Mr. Yuan's reputation and wants to befriend Mr. Yuan, so he bows to Yu Xia.
As for the lining of the elbows and arms, if Mr. Yuan gives orders in the future, there should be nothing to say about the saddle before the horse and the back."
"Oh, that's how it is……"
Yuan Shu didn't say much after hearing Xu Jing's words. It was obvious that he wasn't very interested in Kong Niao's overtures and surrender... It's no wonder that in his menu: Kong Niao belongs to the category of being killed by him! He will not surrender.
within the range.
Xu Jing had some clues, but he didn't say anything. He had already received arrangements from Kong Niao when he came, and he knew how to say it.
He pretended not to see Yuan Shu's expression and continued: "In order to show his sincerity, Governor Kong specially presented to Yuan Gong 200,000 stones of military rations, 100 war horses, 300 pieces of leather armor, and three halberds through General Sun.
One hundred arrows, three thousand arrows..."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!"
Yuan Shu suddenly interrupted Xu Jing's words and said, "What did Mr. Xu just say? Two hundred thousand dan of military rations? One hundred war horses? Three hundred pairs of leather armor? What else..."
Xu Jing nodded quickly and said: "That's right, that's right! All the baggage has been sent to General Sun's camp, and it will be shipped to Luyang soon. Didn't Mr. Yuan get General Sun's letter?"
Yuan Shu seemed a little confused and looked at Xu Jing blankly for a while. The waves in his heart gradually rolled up, like a strong dam suddenly cracking a crack, and the river named 'Trust' flowed from this
Bee pupae spurted out from the tiny cracks, and they couldn't be blocked no matter how hard they were blocked.
Xu Jing stroked his beard and smiled, as if he didn't notice Yuan Shu's expression, and continued: "But speaking of it, that Grand Administrator Sun can really be called a hero in the world! My disciple will discuss this with me that day.
I didn't believe it when I was a human being, but when I saw it in Yang Zhai, I realized that there are not many people in the world as good as my brother."
Yuan Shu's eyebrows twitched slightly inadvertently. He picked up the wine cup, pretended to be very casual, and said tentatively: "Oh? I didn't expect that my brother Xu Shao also criticized Sun Jian... I don't know what happened to you.
What do you think of him?"
Xu Jing laughed and laughed, as if he was drunk and said half-heartedly: "Determined to kill, you are the most powerful hero in the world!"
In one sentence, Yuan Shu was confused/overwhelmed.
Yuan Shu's face gradually turned gloomy, the corners of his mouth were twitching faintly, and his slender eyes flashed from time to time, which was completely opposite to the cheerful expression just now.
Yuan Shu, on the surface, seems to be a broad-minded person, but in fact he is a narrow-minded person.
These few words criticizing Sun Jian could have been said by someone else...but they came from the mouth of this minister! They were also borrowed from the mouth of Xu Zijiang, who has the most power to criticize in the world... In Yuan Shu's heart
The shock can be imagined.
In addition, Xu Jingyan just said: Kong Ni has sent 200,000 stones of food and grass, ordnance, leather armor and many other materials to Sun Jian's camp...
But the report Sun Jian submitted to Yuan Shu only said that he would send 50,000 stones of food and grass to Yuan Shu.
Now Yuan Shu has controlled Nanyang County, and the poll tax is the highest in the world! A little food and grass is not a problem... But Sun Jian's behavior of concealing it and treating himself like a fool has deeply hurt Yuan Shu's self-esteem...
Does this kid want to be independent?
……………………
At this time, Xu Jing seemed to be a little drunk, and Yuan Shu was not in the mood to entertain him anymore, so he immediately ordered someone to arrange for Xu Jing to go down and rest.
After Xu Jing left, Yuan Shu immediately called over his subordinate Bo Yanxiang, his capable man.
After Yan Xiang arrived, Yuan Shu told Yan Xiang exactly what Xu Jing said.
Yan Xiang thought for a long time, and then slowly said: "Ming Gong, in my opinion, Kong Miao, a weak and weak person, may not have such a profound plan to alienate people! But it is not beyond the possibility... My lord may as well send someone first
People inquired into the truth and secretly verified whether Sun Jian had received so much military supplies from Kong Ni... If so, then Sun Jian must have the will to be independent. If not, then it was Kong Ni's provocation."